Funding
From 2000 to 2013, the DEFA Foundation supported a large number of projects with scholarships and grants. These funds were awarded in close cooperation with non-profit organizations or public institutions active in promoting German film culture and cinema. No commercial projects were funded, as the charter and mission of the DEFA Foundation is exclusively dedicated to non-profit purposes.
Funding Freeze
The DEFA Foundation was obliged to stop funding projects in 2014-15, due to financial difficulties primarily caused by the irregular and significantly reduced income from Germany’s copyright licensing authorities, which was responsible for 50% of DEFA Foundation revenues until 2011.
Since the Foundation has had to cope with drastically reduced income, it has not been able to support the projects of independent film festivals, academics, film historians or screenwriters. Should the DEFA Foundation's income become stabilized once more, it will resume awarding grants and scholarships.
Exempt from the decision to suspend such support has been the awarding of DEFA Foundation Prizes at various German film festivals and the Foundation’s annual awards ceremony.